WHAT WE'RE BAKING? ALMOND BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES - Paleo & Gluten free friendly

In a mixer, mix 1 minute on medium high speed:

1/4 C coconut oil

1/4 C raw almond butter

1 egg

Add and mix to combine:

1/4 C honey

2 t vanilla

1/4 t lemon juice

Add and mix for 30 seconds:

1/2 C coconut flour

1/4 t baking soda

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheet.
Flatten slightly with the back of the spoon or with a fork.

Bake in preheated oven 350° for 10 minutes or until edges 

are slightly browned. Cool.

WHAT WE'RE BAKING? CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES - Paleo & Gluten Free

Preheat oven 350°. Blend 1/4 C 

coconut oil with 1 egg well. Add 

1/4 C coconut sugar, 2 T honey 

& 2 t vanilla. Mix well. Add 

in 1 1/2 C almond or cashew 

meal/flour, 2 T coconut flour, 

1/2 t baking soda & 1/2 t sea 

salt. Mix well then add in 1/2 

C non dairy, stevia sweetened 

chocolate chips. On a seasoned 

baking stone or parchment 

lined cookie sheet, drop by the 

tablespoonfuls. Lightly press each to flatten slightly. Bake 10 minutes or until slightly brown around the edges. Cool. 

WHAT WE'RE BAKING? PEAR BERRY PECAN CRUMBLE - Paleo & gluten free

Preheat oven to 375°.

Mix:
4 large chopped, peeled, cored pears
2 C berries
(strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc.)
1 C another kind of berries

Toss with:
1 T lemon juice
1/2 T coconut or sweet potato flour
Pinch allspice
1/2 t cinnamon

Add to baking dish.
If it's glazed pottery or glass dish, there's no need to grease.

In a food processor, grind until it forms a "gritty" dough:
1 1/2 C pecans
2 T coconut flakes
4 dates (or 4 T honey)
1 1/2 t cinnamon

Spread evenly over fruit.

Using 2-4 T butter, ghee or coconut oil, drop in small clumps all over top.

Bake 35 minutes.

WHAT WE'RE BAKING? PALEO GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD

Preheat oven to 350°. Using coconut oil, grease loaf pan. Beat 2 T melted coconut oil with 4 eggs, 3 T honey, 1 t vanilla & 1/2 t apple cider vinegar. Sift in 1/2 C coconut flour, 1/4 C almond flour, 1 t baking soda & 1/2 t sea salt. Mix well. Add in 1/2 C coconut or almond milk and 3 mashed bananas. Mix well. Fold in 1/2 C non dairy dark chocolate chips. Bake around 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing from pan. Freezes great!

WHAT WE'RE BLENDING? FREEZER SMOOTHIE BAGS + smoothie recipes - paleo & gluten free friendly

My sweet friend Linda from Colorado asked me for some suggestions on how to make eating Paleo a little easier for those that work and don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I had to take my own advice. Spend about an hour every 3 weeks and make freezer smoothie bags. Just take one bag out of the freezer, add the ingredients to the blender and the liquids it says on the ziploc bag. Blend well and serve. Great for breakfast and/or lunch.

Make sure to write on the bag what kind of smoothie it is and what you'll need to add to it.

Green Smoothie Formula

1. Pick one: about 1 1/2 C water or milk (almond, coconut, cow's, rice, etc.)

2. 1 big handful: kale, spinach, swiss chard, collards, beet greens, broccoli, etc.

3. 1-2 C: banana, apple, melon, berries, mango, pear, peach, cherries, oranges, etc.

4. Optional: Avocado, nut butter, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, spirullina, protein powder

5. Sweetener: 1 T stevia, 1 T agave, 1 T honey, couple of dates

Some of my favorites:

Pineapple Kale
1 C kale, 1 C spinach, 1/2 C pineapple, 1 banana, 1/2 t cinnamon, 2 dates (or 2 T honey)
+ 1 C milk (almond, coconut, cow's, rice, etc.)
+1/2 C water

Pineapple Kale II
1 C kale, 1/2 C pineapple, 1 t cinnamon, 2 dates (or 2 T honey)
+ 1 C milk (almond, coconut, cow's, rice, etc.)





Kale Green
1-2 C kale, 1 banana, 2 dates (or 2 T honey)
+1 1/2 C water

Kale Green II
1 C spinach, 1 C kale, 1 C blueberries, 3 bananas, 1 orange
+ 1 C water

Berry Green
1 C kale, 1/2 peeled lemon, 1/2 C berries of your choice, 1 banana, 1 chopped mango
+ 2 C water or milk (almond, coconut, cow's, rice, etc.)
+ 2+T honey if desired

Green Fruit

1/2 C pineapple, 1 C grapes, 1 pear, 1/4 C broccoli, 1/2 C spinach, 1 banana

+ 1/4 C water

Green Fruit II

1 C kale, 1 C grapes, 1 orange, 1/2 pear, 1 banana

+1/2 C water

Green Machine

1 C grapes, 1/4 C cucumber, 1/2 kiwi, 1/2 apple, 3/4 C broccoli, 1/2 lemon, 1/2 C spinach

+1/2 C water

Pineapple Spinach
2 C pineapple, 2 C spinach
+1/2 C milk (almond, coconut, cow's, rice, etc.)

Kiwi
4 kiwi, 2 pears, 2 dates (or 2 T honey)
+1/2 C water
+2 T lime juice

Olympic medal
1 banana, 1/2 C cantaloupe, 1/4 C carrots, 1/4 C orange, 1/4 peeled lemon, 2 dates (or 2 T honey), 1/8 t nutmeg, 1/2 C pineapple
+1/2 C water

Citrus
2 peeled oranges, 1/2 peeled lemon, 1 C pineapple, 1/2 C mango
+ 1/2 C water

Citrus II
1/2 C grapes, 1 peeled orange, 1 C pineapple, 1/2 C cucumber, 1 carrot, 1/4 C apple
+ 1/2 C water

Berry
1 C grapes, 1 C pineapple, 1 banana, 1 C strawberries, 1/3 C blueberries, 1/3 C cranberries
+1/2 C water

Triple Berry
1/2 C grapes, 1/2 C strawberries, 1/2 C blueberries, 1/2 C raspberries
+1/2 C milk (almond, coconut, cow's, rice, etc.)
+1/2 C water

Cranberry
1 apple, 1 pear, 1/4 C cranberries, 2 dates (or 2 T honey)
+ 1/2 C water

Mango
1 orange, 1 C mango
+ 3/4 C milk (almond, coconut, cow's, rice, etc.)
+1/4 C water

My Valentine
1 C grapes, 1/2 C raspberries, 1/2 C pineapple, 1/2 C cranberries
+1/2 C milk (almond, coconut, cow's, rice, etc.)
+ 1 T honey

Harvest Sweet Potato
1 1/3 C grapes, 1/2 orange, 1/2 cooked peeled sweet potato, 1/2 apple, 1/4 C cranberries, 1/2 t ginger, 1/2 t cinnamon, 2 dates (or 2 T honey)
+ 1/2 or more C water

Squash it!
1 1/3 C grapes, 1/2 orange, 1/2 cooked peeled butternut squash, 1/2 apple, 1/4 C cranberries, 1 t pumpkin pie spice, 2 dates (or 2 T honey)
+ 1/2 or more C water

WHAT'S FOR DINNER? HOMEMADE CORN DOGS - gluten free version too

8-10 hot dogs, room temp! If you don't have them at room temp, they'll be ugly like mine are.

Mix & set aside for 10 minutes:
1 C Bisquick (For gluten free, Bisquick makes a gluten free Bisquick!!)
2 T cornmeal
1/2 t dry mustard
1/4 t paprika
1/8 t cayenne
1 egg

Heat the oil over medium-high heat
approx 6 C vegetable oil (2 inches high in the pan)

Dip and coat your dog in Bisquick mixture. Place 2 dipped dogs in the hot oil. Only 2 at a time or the temp of the oil will drop. Cook turning with metal slotted spoon for 2 minutes or until golden brown.

Drain on paper towel and insert sticks if desired.

WHAT'S FOR DINNER? SMOTHERED CHICKEN

Preheat oven 350°. Mix together: 1 T garlic powder, 1 T seasoned salt & 1 t pepper. Sprinkle both sides of 5-6 chicken breasts. Place in pan and bake, uncovered for 16-28 minutes or until it's mostly cooked through.

Meanwhile, sautee 8 oz sliced mushrooms, 3 T minced red onion & 2-4 cloves minced garlic with 1/4 C butter & 2 T olive oil over medium heat. Do NOT salt mushrooms before they're browned or they won't ever brown. When the mushrooms are browned, deglaze the pan with 1/2 C white wine. Cook a minute or two until it's reduced. Add 2 bags spinach (or 1 large bag like from Costco). Stir occasionally until spinach is wilted. Add 4 oz cream cheese & 1/4 C Parmesan. Stir until melted. Season with salt & pepper.

Remove chicken from oven. Turn chicken over & divide and top with spinach mixture. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese on top of each breast. Place pan back in oven and cook for 12-14 minutes longer.

WHAT WE'RE MAKING? BITE SIZE CARAMEL APPLES

Using a melon baller, make balls out of apples. Melt Kraft caramels with 2 T water according to package directions. Put sticks in round part of apple balls, skin side down. Dip in caramel, covering completely. Place on waxed paper.

WHAT WE'RE MAKING? FREE Table Decorations for holidays, birthdays and other parties using paint chips

I'm having Thanksgiving at my house for the first time in my life. Although I'm excited about it, I can't stop thinking about what to use as a centerpiece. While in Walmart, I had the perfect, FREE idea.

Now this type of thing doesn't just have to be for just Thanksgiving, you could use any colors for other events: Christmas, Hanukkah, birthdays, Easter, 4th of July, weddings, etc.

Now I know that confetti is not a new idea. Make your own large confetti using FREE paint chips from Walmart, Lowe's, Home Depot, etc. and a shaped punch tool from Stampin' Up or Hobby Lobby; the possibilities are endless.

While at Walmart, the kids & I picked around 10 different but matching colors. I took as many as I wanted, ok maybe left a couple of each color but they didn't seem to care. I even asked two different employees, one that laughed at me. When we got home, we had a "punch" party on the floor with the kids. Now throw (or place) them on your table.

WHAT'S FOR BREAKFAST? Bananas Foster Syrup for pancakes, french toast, crepes, etc.

Melt 1/4 C unsalted butter with 1/4 C brown sugar in saucepan over medium heat. Stir in 1/2 C maple syrup then add 3 sliced bananas and stir to coat. Cook 1-2 minutes longer to thicken, constantly stirring. Remove from heat. Serve.